BELGRADE, 10.02.2020. – The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) urges the Second Basic Court in Belgrade to ensure access to justice in the case of Serbian journalist Milan Jovanovic, who in 2018 was the victim of an arson attack on his house in Belgrade after investigating cases of corruption of local public officials.

Judicial proceedings against the suspected arsonists started in 2019 and have since then been delayed numerous times after frequent requests of postponement advanced by the defense lawyers. These procedural tactics, which also include attempts to disqualify judges appointed to this case, have seriously delayed justice for Jovanovic. We understand, however, that the court expects to render a verdict in this case during the next hearing on 11 February 2021.

Excessive delays in obtaining and executing judgments can constitute a procedural barrier to accessing justice. International and European human rights law prescribes that States must avail effective remedies to ensure access to justice and accountability for crimes against journalists. The MFRR recently concluded an international advocacy mission to Serbia registering a worrying incidence of threats and violence against journalists in the country, followed by a slow response from the State in ensuring that justice for victims is rendered. The MFRR also notes with concern that Serbia has a long history of violence and intimidation against journalists and of justice being delayed or denied to media workers targeted by attacks. In this context, we reiterate our deep concerns that the proceedings in the case of journalist Slavko Curuvija’s murder lasted 20 years. A positive verdict in Jovanovic’s case would represent an important signal against impunity of crimes against journalists in Serbia.

Milan Jovanovic was targeted with an arson attack on 12th December 2018. His house was set on fire after two Molotov cocktails were thrown on the property. He survived the attack thanks to his wife, who helped him to escape from their house while he was unconscious due to smoke inhalation.

The Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade filed an indictment against suspects and requested a maximum sentence of eight years in prison for Dragoljub Simonovic on suspicion of ordering the burning of a house, five years for Vladimir Mihailović, and six years for Aleksandar Marinković, who is still a fugitive. They are charged with committing a serious act against public safety. Simonovic previously was a prominent member of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, Mayor of the Grocka area of Belgrade, and director of the Serbian Railways from 2012 to 2014. Milan Jovanovic and Zig info were often reporting on corruption cases involving Simonovic and other local officials in the local municipality of Grocka.

The MFRR will be closely monitoring the final hearing of Jovanovic’s case on 11th February 2021. We call for justice to be rendered in this case, which could send an important signal to promote the resolution of other cases of violence against journalists in Serbia.

Signatories:

ARTICLE 19

Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT)

International Press Institute (IPI)

European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)

SARAJEVO, 09.02. 2021. – Public institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina currently have no legal obligation to publish information of public interest, and the struggle of citizens, NGOs and the media to publish them often takes years. Therefore, civil society organizations in BiH have sent an initiative to the competent institutions with a request to amend the Law on Freedom of Access to Information in BiH as soon as possible.

The main goal of the initiative is to introduce the principle of proactive transparency in the law, where clear standards would be established, including a catalog of information that all public institutions will have to publish on their websites. In addition, this principle envisages the consistent application of the law through strengthening the capacity of civil servants acting in accordance with the law, but also the establishment of effective supervision over compliance with the law and the introduction of sanctions for its violation.

In BiH, public institutions currently do not publish numerous information on the spending of budget money, public companies hide data on their operations and judicial institutions information on completed court proceedings. Most of this information should be made public because long-standing lawsuits for its delivery prevent the timely reaction of the public, which often causes damage to the interests of citizens.

Therefore, civil society organizations remind that one of the planned measures of the Strategic Framework for Public Administration Reform for the period 2018-2022 refers to increasing the availability of information, where the principle of maximum transparency should be respected. Also, in 2014, BiH joined the Open Government Partnership Initiative (OGP Initiative), which is based on the idea that open government is more accessible and accountable to citizens. Back in 2012, BiH ratified the Council of Europe Convention on access to official documents, which encourages public authorities to publish official documents on their own initiative whenever possible, thus promoting transparent and efficient work of public administration.

BiH civil society organizations have invited authorized proponents at all levels of government, primarily the Ministry of Justice of BiH, to prepare a proposal for a new Law on Freedom of Access to Information, respecting SIGMA’s principles for public administration relating to proactive transparency, as well as the Council of Europe Convention on access to official documents, and strategic commitments from public administration reform and the OGP Initiative.

The Law should define the obligation to proactively publish operational information, information on the organizational structure, budget and other information on the work of public authorities. Also, a narrow range of exceptions to access to information should be clearly defined, with a mandatory public interest test. It is also proposed to introduce inspections and sanctions in case of non-compliance with legal provisions, because the current law does not have a disincentive effect on public institutions that hide information of public importance.

The initiative was signed by: Transparency International in BiH, Advisory Council of the Open Government Partnership Initiative, BH Journalists Association, Center for Investigative Journalism, Center for Representation of Civic Interests, Sarajevo Open Center, UG “Why Not”, BH Foreign Policy Initiative, Center for the Promotion of Civil Society and the “United Women Foundation” Banja Luka.

PODGORICA, 06.02.2021. – At the end of last year, there were almost 60 percent more journalists in the records of the unemployed of the Employment Bureau of Montenegro than at the end of 2019.

Data from the register indicate that on 31.12.2020, when it comes to the professions of journalist and journalist reporter, there were 16 more people in the unemployment records, than in 2019. So at 31.12.2020, there were 43 persons with these occupations on the register, of which 26 were reporters and 16 were journalists. There was one person with a master’s degree in journalism in the register.

The largest share of the unemployed with these occupations was in Bar, nine, followed by Podgorica with eight and Pljevlja with six unemployed.

These data show an increase in the number of unemployed compared to the same period in 2019, when there were a total of 27, 18 with the profession of journalist reporter and nine with the profession of journalist. On that day, there were no persons with a master’s degree in journalism related to journalism. That year, the largest number of unemployed was from Bar, seven, and then four in Podgorica and Pljevlja.

On 31.12.2020, according to the data, 45 percent of people with these occupations have been on the unemployment register for over a year.

When it comes to the complete group of occupations of public information, within which there are also occupations that do not have to be related only to the media, on 31.12.2020 there were 137 people, while the year before that number was 95.

PRISTINA, 03.02.2021 – The Association of Journalists of Kosovo – AJK, in cooperation with the National Democratic Institute – NDI, has held an online workshop, “Journalists and Information Integrity: How to combat disinformation during the electoral process?”, supported by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Kosovo.

Over 30 central and local media journalists were trained by Thomson Reuters Foundation’s journalism trainer and consul, Rex Merrifield, and NDI Senior Advisor on Elections and Political Processes, Julia Brothers.

The opening of this workshop was made by Ambassador Nancy Soderberg – Senior Resident Director of NDI in Kosovo, who expressed her happiness for the start of cooperation with the Association of Journalists of Kosovo.

“We are honored to be holding this workshop with the Association of Journalists of Kosovo. Kosovo’s democracy depends on the integrity of information, a critical factor in the ability of citizens to discuss policy ideas and public affairs in an accurate manner, and to seek accountability from the government based on accurate information”.

Through a discussion with journalists, led by Gentiana Begolli Pustina, chairwoman of the AJK board, the aim was to expand knowledge about information dissemination disorders as well as best practices to combat these phenomena.

Speakers and participants in this discussion assessed that Kosovo needs a joint effort to prevent misinformation, misinformation and their degrading impact on Kosovo’s democratic discourse.

Also, during this workshop before our fellow journalists were presented the main findings from the monitoring of online and social media conducted by NDI in the period March 2020 – November 2020.

SARAJEVO, 03.02.2020 – As many as 70 percent of journalists working in local media in BiH encounter self-censorship in their work, and often censorship and inappropriate demands of employers – according to a study entitled “Working conditions and rights of journalists, legal framework and management of local media in BiH”, whose results were presented today in Sarajevo, organized by BH Journalists Association. As stated by the main researcher, Dr. Amer Dzihana, 40% of respondents said they have been exposed to attacks or threats in the past three years and 75% say that politicians in power have pressured them at some point, as have opposition politicians and advertisers.

The research was conducted in the period from October to December 2020 on a sample of 440 journalists working for local print, radio, TV and online media in BiH. BH Journalists conducted this research with the aim of identifying the existing patterns of functioning of local media and determining whether they are in line with legal and international standards in the field of freedom of expression and freedom of the media.

When it comes to pressures, the respondents feel that the journalistic community and the NGO sector have the most adequate response, while they are the least satisfied with politicians and their reactions. The focus of the research was also on the working conditions of media professionals – as many as 40% of respondents stated that they work more than 40 hours a week, and 48% of journalists who participated in the research have a lower salary than the average net salary in BiH.

– This was a really extensive survey in which we received 157 answers, and we can consider that these answers represent the opinion of a good part of local media employees. Journalists are often exposed to orchestrated campaigns because of what they write and very often these attacks and threats happen online, but also in direct contact with journalists. Those involved in critical journalism are particularly vulnerable to attacks. Every kind of criticism in the media in local communities is considered almost as a kind of national betrayal – Dzihana emphasized.

Journalist and researcher Mladen Bubonjic from Banja Luka believes that the results of research reflect the real situation when it comes to the attitude of journalists about the media scene in BiH in general.

– The biggest challenges are of a financial nature because local media are not big market players and many online portals are financed from projects. We at Gerila portal had a case of attempted murder of our colleague Vladimir Kovacevic, which was a drastic example of an attack. We did not have any explicit political pressures, but I think that the majority of the media in BiH encounters this problem – said Bubonjic.

Due to the fact that they are financed from the budget, local public media are in some way “blackmailed”, says journalist Aida Stilic from RTV USK.

– Labor rights of journalists and (self) censorship are mutually conditioned. I think that self-censorship is a much bigger problem today than censorship and whether we will manage to get out of that vicious circle, depends only on us. We put ourselves in the position of being obedient. We need to have a good and strong journalists’ union – said Stilic.

The editor of RTV Vogosca, Elvir Halilovic, believes that self-censorship in the public local media is a consequence of the fact that journalists in many cases take on the role of mediators in order to solve citizens’ problems.

– Local journalists are already accustomed to the pressures and the fact that everyone can belittle them, from the allocation of budget funds, and so on. I am an advocate of knowing exactly the amounts that should be used to finance local media and journalists and to determine how many media one local community should have – says Halilovic.

Freelance journalist from Mostar Kristina Gadze, who conducted research on the labor rights of journalists, states that freedom in the local media is questionable and young journalists who are just at the beginning of their careers are especially discouraged.

The main recommendations of this study are to strengthen existing mechanisms and initiatives aimed at reducing attacks on journalists, launch strategic activities to reduce the impact of politics on local media, strengthen trade union and professional association of journalists and to start targeted and serious discussions on the future of local media. The research is part of the project “Free Media, Free Society”, implemented by BH Journalists in cooperation with the Association of Electronic Media in BiH (AEM BiH), with the financial support of the European Union.